Maddy Institute – August 17, 2020

17Aug

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Stanislaus County numbers continue in wrong direction

Modesto Bee

The coronavirus numbers for Stanislaus County continued heading in the wrong direction after new data was released Saturday afternoon. Five more deaths brought the county total to 198 and the 426 positive cases continued an upward trend in both positivity rate and the metric the state uses as a guideline for schools to submit waivers for on-campus learning.

· Merced County reports over 1,000 new coronavirus cases in past week. No new deaths FridayMerced Sun-Star

Nov. 3 ballot for Stanislaus is final. It’s crowded and includes a former Olympian

Modesto Bee

The Nov. 3 ballot is now complete in Stanislaus County, promising lively races for the Modesto Mayor, Modesto City Council and several other posts. Turlock will fill two council seats and consider a sales tax increase. Council seats are contested also in Ceres, Patterson, Newman, Riverbank, Oakdale and Hughson.

Downtown Modesto in 20 years: More people living, walking, working under new city plan

Modesto Bee

The Modesto City Council gave final approval to a downtown master plan that calls for dense housing and other projects in the core. The council voted 6-0 on the plan Tuesday, capping 13 months of public outreach and economic analysis. Councilman Mani Grewal abstained because he owns property downtown.

Central SJ Valley:

With 700-plus additional coronavirus cases, Fresno Co rapidly nears 20,000 mark

Fresno Bee

Fresno County took a huge leap toward topping 20,000 coronavirus cases in the now 5-month-old pandemic, as the Department of Public Health on Saturday reported 743 additional positive results.

With no new coronavirus aid, Fresno plans how it will spend $10.2 million in CARES Act funds

Fresno Bee

With no new coronavirus relief package coming from Congress any time soon, Fresno leaders outlined Friday how the city plans to spend $10.2 million from a previous package to help residents in the coming weeks.

Fresno has waited 3 weeks on State COVID-19 strike team reports. What’s going on?

Fresno Bee

Fresno County health officials are still waiting for reports and direction from state strike teams to fight the coronavirus pandemic here, three weeks after Calif Gov. Newsom announced that he was sending help.

State strike team listens to COVID-19 concerns in Tulare County

abc30

Overwhelmed hospitals. Large outbreaks at food processing plants and skilled nursing facilities. And sobering statistics that mean ongoing restrictions on everything from local businesses to schools.

Judge tells Devin Nunes for 3rd time he can’t sue Twitter over anonymous tweets

Fresno Bee

The judge dismissed Twitter a third time, but it seems Nunes still plans to keep the lawsuit going.

South SJ Valley:

Public Health reports 304 new coronavirus cases Sunday

Bakersfield Califn

The Kern County Public Heath Services Department reported 304 new cases of coronavirus Sunday morning. That brings the total confirmed cases to 26,580 since mid-March, when cases began showing up in the county. The number of deaths remains at 204.

Small business assistance applications for Kings Co. due Monday

Hanford Sentinel

The Kings County Job Training Office will begin accepting applications on Monday for the county’s small business assistance program. To help with the harmful effects shutdown orders have had on small business, Kings County officials approved a program to utilize $5 million in coronavirus relief funds to provide financial support to businesses.

Discontent with McCarthy rises as GOP considers a possible post-Trump world

Wash Post

A cluster of GOP lawmakers is starting to privately question whether the Calif Republican is putting loyalty to the president over the good of the conference. And there is a small group of members discussing whether someone should challenge him for minority leader if Trump is defeated Nov. 3.

State:

Sabotage, weaponizing, vandalism: What Gavin Newsom thinks of Trump’s treatment of USPS

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday likened the Trump administration’s handling of the United States Postal Service to “sabotage” as the country prepares for an election in a pandemic in which tens of millions of votes will be cast by mail.

● Fact Check: PANTS ON FIRE: Trump’s latest Calif voter fraud claim as baseless as past allegationsPolitiFact

‘Patience wearing thin.’ Year of misfortunes tests Gov Newsom’s political standing

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom ends most press conferences these days with a series of pleas that have become familiar during the pandemic: wear a mask, keep your distance, stay home if you can. On Friday, he had to add a new one: turn off your lights.

Hospitalizations drop as Calif nears clearing testing backlog

Sacramento Bee

One upside of the heatwave? People are staying inside. But aside from the unpleasant temperature, the abundance of wildfires raging and the potential threat of rolling blackouts for many Califns, the coronavirus pandemic still looms.

● Calif coronavirus update CALmatters

● 62% of Republicans say testing is main reason COVID-19 cases rising in US Pew Research Center

Skelton: With Kamala Harris as VP pick, Gov Newsom’s White House hopes have stalled

LA Times

Maybe you’ve noticed: Gov. Gavin Newsom no longer looks like a promising future presidential prospect. He has been leaped over and left behind by a Calif ally, Sen. Kamala Harris.

Walters: Calif’s crisis of competence

CalMatters

Year by year and article by article, Ralph Vartabedian has revealed to Californians the woeful shortcomings of the state’s largest public works project, a north-south bullet train.

Federal:

What’s happening at the US Postal Service, and why?

abc30

The U.S. Postal Service is warning states it cannot guarantee that all ballots cast by mail for the Nov. 3 election will arrive in time to be counted, even if ballots are mailed by state deadlines. That’s raising the possibility that millions of voters could be disenfranchised.

● Pelosi to recall House for Postal Service vote NY Times

● Pelosi calls back House over Postal Service crisis POLITICO

● USPS warns 46 states, D.C. that some mailed ballots may not arrive in time to be counted for November election Was Post

● House accelerates oversight of Postal Service as uproar grows, demanding top officials testify at hearing Was Post

● At least six state attorneys general consider legal action to protect Postal Service operations before the election Was Post

● House to Return From Recess to Vote on Postal Service Legislation WSJ

Trump makes call for new White House doctor’s virus advice

Bakersfield Califn

President Donald Trump has found a new doctor for his coronavirus task force — and this time there’s no daylight between them. Trump last week announced that Dr. Scott Atlas, a frequent guest on Fox News Channel, has joined the White House as a pandemic adviser.

Coronavirus Trackers:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Calif

Covid19.ca.gov

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.

See also:

● Calif Department of Public Health

● Coronavirus (COVID-19) CDC

● Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic – WHO

● John Hopkins University & Medicine John Hopkins University

● Tracking coronavirus in Calif Los Angeles Times

● Coronavirus Tracker San Francisco Chronicle

● Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count New York Times

● How many coronavirus cases have been reported in each U.S. state? Politico

● Coronavirus Daily NPR

● Coronavirus tracked: the latest figures as the pandemic spreads Financial Times

● Coronavirus in Calif by the numbers CalMatters

Elections 2020:

‘Do something:’ Harris’ rapid rise driven by call to action

Bakersfield Califn

Hours before Kamala Harris took the stage for the first time as Joe Biden’s vice presidential pick, she received a text message from a childhood classmate with photos from their school days.

● How Kamala Harris’s Family in India Helped Shape Her Values NY Times

● Biden Leads Trump, 50% to 41%, in Poll Ahead of Party Conventions WSJ

● Opinion: What to expect from Biden-Harris on tech policy, platform regulation, and ChinaBrookings

● Harris’s wooing of Black activists paved a path to the ticket Wash Post

● Harris’ rise gives Calif a shot at serious national power POLITICO

● Harris pays early dividends for Biden campaign POLITICO

● Poll: Harris viewed more favorably than unfavorably POLITICO

● The Kamala Harris pick is a hit with voters so far CNN

● Editorial: Biden’s Smart Pick for Vice President Tells Us a Lot Bloomberg

Tracing Trump’s Postal Service obsession — from ‘loser’ to ‘scam’ to ‘rigged election’

Wash Post

Soon after taking office in 2017, President Trump seized on the U.S. Postal Service as an emblem of the bloated bureaucracy. “A loser,” he repeatedly labeled one of America’s most beloved public institutions, according to aides who discussed the matter with him.

● Postal Delays, Errors In Swing States Loom Over Election VPR

● Biden Supporters More Likely Than Trump’s to Vote by Mail, Poll Shows WSJ

State of the presidential race: A deep dive on the polls

POLITICO

5 things you need to know as the Democratic National Convention kicks off.

Post-ABC poll shows Biden/Harris holding double-digit lead over Trump/Pence

Wash Post

As the two major political parties prepare to open their national conventions, the race for the White House tilts toward the Democrats, with former vice president Joe Biden holding a double-digit lead nationally over President Trump amid continuing disapproval of the president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The conventions’ quantum leap

Axios

The pandemic is forcing both parties to do what they should have attempted years ago: Blow up the crusty, old formula for political conventions.

See also:

● PolitiFact’s DNC preview Politifact

● 5 Questions Ahead Of The Democratic National Convention VPR

● Calif progressives’ mantra for Democratic convention: ‘Challenge Biden’ San Francisco Chronicle

Americans say co. statements about race come from pressure more than concern

Pew Research Center

Companies from Silicon Valley to Wall Street have publicly denounced racism since the protests following the killing of George Floyd. But Americans are divided on whether it’s important for firms to weigh in on political and social issues. And they are more likely to believe pressure from others – more than genuine concern for Black people – has driven recent statements about race, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Voters Highly Engaged, but Nearly Half Expect Difficulties Voting in 2020 Election

Pew Research Center

Biden maintains lead despite Trump’s advantage in strong support.

Election 2020: A once-in-a-century, massive turnout?

Brookings

A new Pew Research Center survey released this weekprovides the most compelling evidence yet that turnout this November will be massive and that states will be challenged to complete timely counts of a record number of mail-in ballots.

Other:

5 lasting changes from the COVID-19 pandemic

ABC News

The world has changed and it will remain different in many ways.

Utilities for democracy: Why and how the algorithmic infrastructure of Facebook and Google must be regulated

Brookings

In the four years since the last U.S. presidential election, pressure has continued to build on Silicon Valley’s biggest internet firms: the Cambridge Analytica revelations; a series of security and privacy missteps; a constant drip of stories about discriminatory algorithms; employee pressure, walkouts, and resignations; and legislative debates about privacy, content moderation, and competition policy. The nation — indeed, the world — is waking up to the manifold threats internet platforms pose to the public sphere and to democracy.

Adam Jentleson and Molly Reynolds: Getting Rid of the Senate Filibuster

Lawfare

On July 30, former President Barack Obama, speaking at the funeral of Congressman John Lewis, threw his weight behind ending the Senate filibuster if necessary to pursue a voting rights agenda. His comments brought to the forefront a debate that has been simmering for years within the Democratic party. Margaret Taylor spoke with Adam Jentleson, who served as deputy chief of staff to Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid during the Obama administration, and Brookings senior fellow Molly Reynolds, about the history of the filibuster, how it actually works and what the consequences could be if a Democratic-controlled Senate actually got rid of it.

Boyd Grant, winningest head basketball coach in Fresno State history, dies at 87, sources say

Abc30.com

Boyd Grant is the winningest coach in program history guiding the Bulldogs to 194 wins.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

‘We are all vulnerable right now.’ Latino Valley leaders call for farmworker COVID-19 aid

Fresno Bee

“We had to write this letter because we’re the children of farmworkers and these elected officials and I were the product of the American dream,” one lawmaker said.

Central Valley school districts find new ways to serve meals to students this semester

abc30

Valley school districts are working overtime to make sure students get the meals they need this semester. Initially, there were concerns about funding.

A Valley Ag land broker is taking its real estate high tech

abc30

Selling farmland is getting easier thanks to technology. A 32-acre vineyard near Kingsburg was listed on a new app by Schuil & Associates. “It will allow growers sellers buyers and future clients to access all of our properties very easily on their phones,” said Doug Phillips, partner at Schuil & Associates.

Grimmway donates more than 1 million pounds of produce for COVID-19 relief

Bakersfield Califn

From drive-thru giveaways in the Midwest to hand-delivered donations in Kern County, Grimmway Farms has shown support for individuals and families affected by COVID-19 by giving away fresh carrots and Cal-Organic Farms vegetables. On Friday, the company announced it’s donated more than 1 million pounds of fresh produce to food banks, hospitals and nonprofit charities across the country since mid-March.

Investigation: COVID rips through motel rooms of guest workers who pick nation’s produce

CALmatters

Guest worker outbreaks in Calif have sickened hundreds and killed at least one, according to an investigation by CalMatters and The Salinas Califn. Meanwhile, harvesting companies haven’t always notified local public health departments.

Guardian Reporter Investigates The Link Between COVID-19 And Low-Wage Labor In The Valley

VPR
This week, The Guardian published the first in a series of reports on why COVID-19 cases have surged in the Central Valley. Valley Public Radio Host Kathleen Schock spoke with reporter Vivian Ho about her investigation into how the virus spread among agricultural workers. Also joining the conversation is UC Merced Associate Professor of Sociology Edward Flores, who recently co-published a study on the connection between low-wage employment and the coronavirus.

More Americans Go Hungry Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Census Shows

WSJ

Causes include higher food prices, school closings; expiration of federal jobless benefits deepens distress.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Op-Ed: How Jose Huizar’s alleged crimes may have been aided by redistricting

Los Angeles Times

In 2012, when City Council district lines were last redrawn, we wondered why both of our South Los Angeles districts were unnecessarily gutted. We’re still wondering, but since the arrest of suspended council member Jose Huizar, for allegedly using his office to line his pockets, our musings have taken a more sinister turn.

Public Safety:

Calif gun control law banning high-capacity magazines struck down by 9th Circuit

Fresno Bee

In a blow to one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature gun-control laws, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday overturned Calif’s ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines.

● Calif’s ban on high-capacity magazines unconstitutional, court rules CALmatters

● Court rules against Calif ban high-capacity magazines LA Times

Californians Largely Support Police Reforms And Their Local PD, Poll Shows

Capital Public Radio

Californians broadly support the Black Lives Matter movement, a range of police reforms and — despite the desire for changes — their own local police departments by wide margins, according to a new pair of UC Berkeley polls.

Calif could cut its prison population in half and free 50,000 people. Amid pandemic, will the State act?

SF Chronicle

[T]he need to rethink our idea of violent offenders has grown more urgent during the pandemic, when the virus has turned prisons into hot zones, killing incarcerated people and staff, straining hospital resources and putting entire communities at risk.

Fire:

Calif wildfires burn amid high risk of brutal blazes

Fresno Bee

Firefighters struggling to contain three wildfires near Los Angeles faced another challenging day Saturday as forecasters warned that the risk of new fires was high with temperatures expected to spike and humidity levels to drop across Calif.

● Fresno firefighters seeing challenges while battling fires in extreme temperatures abc30

● Lightning sparks new wildfires across Calif Modesto Bee

● Thunderstorms and excessive heat fuel wildfires in Calif CBS News

Two fires near Yosemite burning with 0% containment. Here’s the strategy to fight them

Sierra Star

Two fires near Lukens Lake off Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park continue to burn with no containment, the National Park Service reported Aug. 14. The Blue Jay Fire is one mile west of the lake at an altitude of 9,000 feet, and the White Wolf Fire is a mile south of the White Wolf Campground and about two miles west of the lake, according to the park service.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

‘Black businesses are hurting now.’ Racism, inequality, COVID-19 shatter Fresno business dreams

Fresno Bee

“It seemed like they were willing to take a chance on others, but not on me.”

abc30

Agents with the Alcoholic Beverage Control department are going door to door, making sure businesses are following state orders during the pandemic. On Friday, they stopped at more than 100 businesses.

State issues local restaurants few citations since early July closure order in Kern

Bakersfield Califn

State inspectors have determined the vast majority of restaurants in Kern County have closed indoor dining operations in compliance with orders put in place by Sacramento early last month to limit the spread of COVID-19.

County small business relief fund also aided advocacy groups, museums

Bakersfield Califn

While bars, restaurants, nail salons and real estate offices received the majority of federal money from a Kern County small business relief fund, recipients also included chambers of commerce, nonprofits and a ski resort.

Fresno Voices: How racism leaves a lingering economic ‘glass ceiling’ for Fresno’s Black residents

Fresno Bee

When Booker T. Lewis, pastor of Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church in southwest Fresno, moved from Greenville, Texas, to Fresno in 1977, he was 16 years old and a sophomore in high school. He remembers his first days at Edison High School and the sea of Black faces.

Jobs:

When can you go back to work after getting COVID-19? Fresno Co issues new guidelines

ABC30 Fresno

Health officials say clearance testing is neither needed nor recommended.

Guardian Reporter Investigates The Link Between COVID-19 And Low-Wage Labor In The Valley

Uber, Lyft And Why Calif’s War Over Gig Work Is Just Beginning

Capital Public Radio

This week, a yearslong battle over how gig companies should treat the hundreds of thousands of Califns who find work through their apps finally came to a head. It also proved that even after high-profile protests and showdowns in Sacramento, the state is still far from figuring out what work will look like in a more tech-dependent world — and it’s testing the patience of Uber and Lyft, which are now threatening to temporarily close down in the state.

Unemployment claims continue to improve

AEI

While claims remain historically elevated and weekly data often fluctuate, lower unemployment benefit claims in recent weeks suggest more people are remaining in or returning to work.

EDUCATION

K-12:

‘Other side of the story:’ Ethnic studies to be a Fresno Unified school requirement

Fresno Bee

High school students in Fresno will have to fulfill an ethnic studies requirement to graduate starting next school year, a move that teachers pushed for. Fresno Unified School District trustees unanimously voted Wednesday night to make ethnic studies a graduation requirement. Students will need to take a 10-credit, two-semester course beginning in the 2021-22 school year.

Students arrive to Fresno County private school again despite state, county orders

Fresno Bee

Students arrived to the Immanuel Schools campus on Friday morning in apparent anticipation of a second day of in-person instruction. The K-12 school opened for the school year Thursday despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order that schools in counties that remain on the state watch list due to the coronavirus pandemic not reopen their campuses for instruction.

● Gov. Newsom ‘disappointed’ in Immanuel Schools for opening, Fresno County preps for court battle abc30

Ed Lab: School starts on Monday. Are your kids ready?

Fresno Bee

All schools in Fresno County will be distance learning until state COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted. Clovis Unified presented its 2020-2021 distance learning strategic plan at the school board meeting on Wednesday night.

New school supplies handed out at drive-through event in southwest Fresno

abc30

Hundreds of students now have new school supplies thanks to a drive-by event in southwest Fresno. The giveaway was held outside the West Fresno Family Resource Center on Calif and Elm Saturday morning.

Fresno Unified Starts Monday: Young Educators Share Excitement And Nerves With Distance Learning

VPR

It’s hard enough for seasoned teachers to transition from in-person classes to online learning. But what about teachers who are just starting out? Oscar Andrade falls under that category. The second year educator left his classroom at Centennial Elementary School in March, and was allowed to return in early August to get ready for the year.

Tulare County elementary school defies Newsom order and reopens for in-person classes

Fresno Bee

A Tulare County elementary school just outside of Visalia opened its doors this week for in-person classes despite the governor’s order that mandates schools in counties with climbing coronavirus cases to stay closed.

Calif to allow in-person instruction for special education students

POLITICO

Small groups of those students will be allowed to convene in person regardless of their county’s status on the state watchlist, which mandates that schools remain closed.

● Calif schools allowed to open for small groups with ‘acute’ needs under new guidance EdSource

Calif rural counties caught between health officers and parents on school reopening

POLITICO

“School superintendents in the rural Calif counties that have the green light to pursue in-person instruction say they are caught in a tug-of-war between local health officials who say the data is inaccurate and parents who want their children to return to a semblance of normalcy.

Pressure is on to close the digital divide under Calif governor’s executive order

EdSource

Calif state agencies will be required to speed up efforts to fund, build and connect all students with high-speed internet, according to an executive order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday.

As school starts, Calif districts try to improve virtual special education

EdSource

As schools in Calif begin re-opening virtually, state education officials have taken steps to improve distance learning for a group of students who were largely left behind in the spring: Those in special education.

The American Federation of Teachers puts class warfare before class

Newsweek

Teachers unions shouldn’t use school reopening as a bargaining chip to push a policy agenda that even the Democratic Party won’t endorse.

Black and Hispanic Americans Twice As Likely As Whites to Say Schools Should Remain Closed, CR Survey Finds

Consumer Reports

The disparity may reflect how hard their communities have been hit by COVID-19 and concerns about school safety protocols.

Higher Ed:

CHSU College of Pharmacy’s Pre-Accreditation Status Withdrawn

Clovis RoundUp

Calif Health Sciences University’s newest class of Doctor of Pharmacy students received some unexpected, and unfortunate news.

Black Lives Matter Movement Sparks Diversity Coalition At UCSF Fresno

VPR

Close to 300 people working in the medical field have signed a letter in solidarity with the Black Lives Movement in the San Joaquin Valley. Dr. Susan Logan is a hepatobilitary surgeon in Fresno. She says making the letter public is meant to serve as a way to build trust with the Black community in the Valley.

University Week: The countdown to Fall 2020 begins now!

CSUB News

‘Runners United for Change is the theme of University Week, a time for our CSUB community to come together for professional development, inspiration and camaraderie – even if it is virtual – as we gear up with great anticipation for a new academic year.

As Colleges Move Classes Online, Families Rebel Against the Cost

NY Times

After Southern Calif’s soaring coronavirus caseload forced Chapman University this month to abruptly abandon plans to reopen its campus and shift to an autumn of all-remote instruction, the school promised that students would still get a ‘robust Chapman experience.’ ‘What about a robust refund?’ retorted Christopher Moore, a spring graduate, on Facebook.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Fresno-area heat wave arrives: Is it record-breaking? Here’s what forecasters expect

Fresno Bee

Hot weather in the summertime isn’t exactly unusual for Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley. But when high temperatures are forecast to be hot enough to cause health problems for residents – well, it’s reason to sit up and take notice.

See Also:

● Excessive heat warning in effect through Thursday Bakersfield Califn

● Heat wave starts with record in Modesto. Here’s what we can expect in coming days Modesto Bee

● Modesto-area temperatures remain in 100s; lightning lights up Bay Area sky Modesto Bee

● Death Valley soars to 130 degrees, potentially Earth’s highest temperature since at least 1931MSN

Showers, thunder roll into steamy central San Joaquin Valley. Which areas felt an impact?

Fresno Bee

Heavy cloud cover brought a new threat and only partial relief Saturday from an extreme heat wave gripping the central San Joaquin Valley and other areas of Calif and the Western U.S. A flash flood warning was issued by the National Weather Service’s Hanford office for the Avenal area in southwestern Kings County as strong thunderstorms rolled in from the south.

Newsom wants probe of Calif blackouts, as grid officials suspend volatile power trading

Sac Bee

The Calif Independent System Operator said it’s temporarily banning ‘convergence bidding.’

Disposal Site — Not Dump

Hanford Sentinel

To help meet the growing concern about environmental pollution, the Kings County Department of Sanitation has contracted a solid waste disposal site on 8 ½ Avenue, between Grangeville Boulevard and Highway 43.

Energy:

Calif avoided rolling blackouts for two decades. What went wrong on the grid?

Fresno Bee

For nearly two decades, Calif skated past one heat wave after another without having to resort to deliberate rolling blackouts — including one horrible stretch that killed 140 people in 2006. The state’s electricity winning streak ran out Friday night.

● Calif begins rolling blackouts for first time in 19 years, Stage 3 emergency declared abc30

● What is the Calif ISO, and why were there no outages in Sacramento? Sac Bee

● Power back in Calif after brief rolling blackouts Bakersfield Califn

● Heat wave drives up crowds, strains Calif’s power grid Modesto Bee

● ‘Rolling Blackouts’ Continue Briefly Saturday Evening As Calif Deals With Record Heatwave Capital Public Radio

● First shutoffs in 20 years CALmatters

● Calif power grid manager urges residents to conserve energy amid intense heat wave LA Times

● Death Valley hits 130 degrees, thought to be highest temperature on Earth in over a century LA Times

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

In tiny Amador Co. 13 have died of COVID-19 in past wk, 12 at one nursing home

Fresno Bee

Sacramento’s smallest neighboring county, rural Amador has quickly become a hotbed for coronavirus activity, with health officials and the state reporting a rapid spike in new cases and a flood of more than a dozen deaths in the past week — nearly all of the fatalities at one nursing facility.

With 700-plus additional coronavirus cases, Fresno Co rapidly nears 20,000 mark

Fresno Bee

Fresno County took a huge leap toward topping 20,000 coronavirus cases in the now 5-month-old pandemic, as the Department of Public Health on Saturday reported 743 additional positive results.

Public Health reports 304 new coronavirus cases Sunday

Bakersfield Califn

● Merced County reports over 1,000 new coronavirus cases in past week. No new deaths FridayMerced Sun-Star

Valley school districts say students must be immunized to attend online classes

abc30

This school year may look different, but state-mandated immunization requirements haven’t changed. “Kids are falling behind in immunizations because of all of the disruptions related to the pandemic,” said Fresno County public health officer Dr. Rais Vohra.

First responders seeing increase in heat-related calls during extreme temperatures

abc30

When it’s over 100 degrees, it’s hard to escape the heat in the Central Valley. If you find yourself in direct sunlight long enough, the blistering hot temperatures can do more harm than just a sunburn.

Can Air Conditioners Spread COVID-19?

VPR
In the dog days of August, air conditioning is everywhere. Is that a problem when it comes to the spread of the coronavirus? The answer to that question rests on the way the virus is transmitted — a topic that is still being researched.

Human Services:

Fear, language barriers hinder immigrant contact-tracing

Fresno Bee

Only a handful of contact tracers working to slow COVID-19 in 125 communities near Chicago speak Spanish, despite significant Hispanic populations. Churches and advocacy groups in the Houston area are trying to convince immigrants to cooperate when health officials call. And in Calif, immigrants are being trained as contact tracers to ease mistrust.

Fresno County: Medical providers can return to work without ‘negative’ test

Business Journal

The Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) has issued a health advisory to all Fresno County medical providers, reminding them that employees should be able to come out of isolation and return to work without a negative Covid-19 test, provided they meet certain criteria.

Answers to why it’s taking so long to get a coronavirus test result in Stanislaus Co

Modesto Bee

Stanislaus County’s health officer says it should not take 15-plus days to find out if a person has the coronavirus. And the slow testing process is hindering public health efforts to bring the COVID-19 outbreak under control. The county’s top executive officer said the No. 1 priority is faster testing so public health personnel can do their job and slow down the outbreak.

Coronavirus hasn’t devastated the homeless as many feared

Bakersfield Califn

When the coronavirus emerged in the U.S. this year, public health officials and advocates for the homeless feared the virus would rip through shelters and tent encampments, ravaging vulnerable people who often have chronic health issues.

Calif’s coronavirus response has been hampered by high-level resignations

LA Times

The numerous changes have increased pressure on Calif’s underfunded state health departments as they try to keep pace with the governor’s flurry of announcements on new guidelines, programs and policy changes, which one former agency official likened to a daily fire drill

Flu vaccines could be a dry run for upcoming coronavirus immunizations

San Francisco Chronicle

Influenza season is just around the corner, and with the possibility of the coronavirus circulating at the same time, the annual pleas have already begun: Get the flu shot, everyone.

Covid-19 Deaths Skew Younger Among Minorities

WSJ

Coronavirus infections take a heavy toll on Latino people in their prime working years, data show.

U.S. Coronavirus Forecasts Offer Somber Outlook

WSJ

Death toll seen surpassing 180,000, and possibly reaching 200,000 by Sept. 5.

IMMIGRATION

Fed judge orders COVID-19 testing at Bakersfield immigration detention facility

Bakersfield Califn

A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered immediate testing of all detainees and staff at a Bakersfield immigration detention center where COVID-19 was spreading for weeks while officials refused to test for the virus.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Cars line up in sweltering heat to enter Skaggs Bridge Park; Capacity cut in half due to Covid-19

Fresno Bee

On a sweltering Saturday, Fresnans seek relief from the heat in the San Joaquin River at Skaggs Bridge. But Covid-19 concerns cuts park capacity in half.

Downtown Modesto in 20 years: More people living, walking, working under new city plan

Modesto Bee

Housing:

Millions Of Older Californians Live Where Wildfire Threatens. Mostly, They’re On Their Own

Capital Public Radio

The fire refugees kept calling, all of them elderly, all of them newly homeless after Paradise burned in 2018. Some 70 miles to the south in Grass Valley, Katrina Hardin answered those calls. Hardin managed a senior apartment complex – none were available, so she begged her friends to open up their spare rooms.

The Black Lives Next Door

NY Times

Effective strategies to redress segregation in all its forms would become clearer if activists in San Mateo and elsewhere did deep research into how their communities’ racial boundaries were established.

Coronavirus hasn’t devastated the homeless as many feared

Associated Press

PUBLIC FINANCES

New Calif Financial Watchdog Would Take Aim At Predatory Lenders Amid Pandemic

Capital Public Radio

Lawmakers in Calif are rushing to create a new financial protection watchdog agency by the end of the month. They say it’s needed because, under the Trump administration, the main federal regulator has been paralyzed.

Forum: Misuse of taxpayer dollars for campaigns will continue until prosecutors get a backbone

Sacramento Bee

Four of the 12 measures on Calif’s November ballot were placed there by the Legislature. Let’s assume that legislators had also appropriated $100 million in taxpayers’ money for campaigns to persuade voters to approve the four. It would have been an outrageous and likely illegal misappropriation of public funds under several laws.

Tax Breaks: Calif’s $60 Billion Loss

Calif Budget & Policy Center

High-Income Households and Corporations Benefit the Most From Calif’s Tax Breaks.

Calpers Faces Questions Following Investing Veteran’s Abrupt Exit

WSJ

The giant pension fund’s procedures for managing conflicts of interest are getting attention from the board following Ben Meng’s departure.

Walters: Misusing taxpayer dollars for campaigns

CALmatters

Calif’s local officials routinely use taxpayer dollars for ballot measure campaigns, even though it’s illegal. One agency just got fined.

Don’t eliminate payroll taxes — unless you want to discourage work

AEI

Eliminating the payroll tax probably will stimulate the economy in the near term. But over the long term, the bill will come due.

U.S. deficit rises amid COVID-19 but public concern about it falls

Pew Research Center

Among the collateral damage from the coronavirus pandemic has been the U.S. economy and the federal budget. The pandemic has caused massive economic disruption, and the government’s response has pushed the federal budget further out of balance than it’s been in nearly eight decades. But Americans appear to be slightly less concerned about the deficit than they have been in recent years.

TRANSPORTATION

Letters to the Editor: Why Calif’s bullet train is destined to fail without a complete overhaul

Los Angeles Times

The root cause of this disaster is sadly obvious when one realizes that the Calif High-Speed Rail Authority currently has only about 150 employees and lacks a full-time chief engineer. Compare this with Caltrans, which has more than 18,000 employees and hundreds of capable engineers and project managers.

Editorial: Don’t let the coronavirus destroy public transit too

LA Times

Who’s riding the bus in a pandemic? A lot of people, it turns out.

WATER

This Week in Fresnoland: Will private wells go dry again? Probably.

Fresno Bee

This week in Fresnoland, Dympna Ugwu-Oju reported on the “glass ceiling” for Black workers in Fresno, and we launched the application for our new Fresnoland Documenters program.

New executive director named at Water Association of Kern County

Bakersfield Califn

The Water Association of Kern County Board of Directors has named Jenny Bertagna Holtermann as the new executive director. Holtermann will replace Beth Pandol, who is retiring after 10 years leading the association.

LOIS HENRY: Unlikely source promises (a little) water for the Kern River

Bakersfield Califn

If all goes according to plan, there will be water in the Kern River. And not just when Mother Nature dumps a boatload of snow in the Sierras. The City of Bakersfield is poised to ink a deal with Buena Vista Water Storage District that will provide at least some water in the riverbed through the main part of the city between April and June — even in drier years.

FEMA flood zone study assigns new risk to Lake Isabella area

Bakersfield Califn

Some Lake Isabella-area property owners may have to start buying flood insurance after a recent federal assessment preliminarily redrew maps of local areas considered to be at risk in the event of a once-in-a-100-years deluge.

Warszawski: Compromise vote clears the way for much-needed San Joaquin River access from Fresno

Fresno Bee

The never-ending process to create public access along the San Joaquin River in northwest Fresno lurched forward this week with a negotiated compromise that should allow a long-stalled project to proceed. At least in theory.

Groundwater Sustainability Moves from Planning to Implementation

Public Policy Institute of Calif

The recent completion of groundwater sustainability plans for Calif’s most over-pumped basins was a major step toward bringing basins into long-term balance, as mandated by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). As these plans move through the state approval process, the next stage is implementation. We talked to Trevor Joseph—the first SGMA employee at the Department of Water Resources (DWR), and now a member of a groundwater sustainability agency in the Sacramento Valley—about next steps and possible pitfalls.

“Xtra”

Merced’s newly-renovated Mainzer Theater set to reopen next week, starting with restaurant

Merced Sun-Star

The Mainzer Theater — a Valley art deco jewel that’s held court on downtown Merced’s West Main and N streets since the 1930s, is about to rise again. After being shuttered for more than a decade and undergoing a thorough multi-million dollar renovation, the Mainzer is scheduled to reopen Aug. 19 as family friendly entertainment venue.

ROBERT PRICE: While Fox Theater hangs on, the people who rely on her struggle

Bakersfield Califn

In times like these it’s always thoughtful to check in on old friends you haven’t seen for a while. Allow me to save you one phone call: The Fox Theater is fine. The majestic grande dame, approaching what seems likely to be an undeservedly underwhelming 90th birthday four months from now, is hanging on in the midst of this pandemic with the same quiet dignity as during a previous period of seeming abandonment.

Clovis Trail Fest Canceled, Amidst Rising Numbers On The Trails

Clovis RoundUp

The City of Clovis announced on August 1 the cancellation of its annual Trail Fest – a popular event promoting healthy exercise.